Getting Started FAQ

How does Sgt Bike do billing? Hourly? Weekly? Other?

Yes!

We have the flexibility to fit your needs. Our minimum "patrol" is 1 hour/4-riders ($140), but some clients book patrols by the week. For some events we can offer flat rates per day. Typically we charge hourly rates based on the area of town and the time of day in which your campaign will occur.

Is there a minimum purchase?

Our minimum patrol is 1 hour, but your first time assembling will necessarily include the costs of producing your the actual signs themselves (from ~$100/trailer). Because your advertisement itself may not be cheap to produce we don't usually have clients asking for a single, short patrol, but we can meet your needs.

How much does a "patrol" cost?

How many signs can you send out?

Generally speaking, the more signs in a patrol the better your result. We recommend 8-12 signs/riders for the most impact.

We have a few places to store signs around town, and we can provide as many riders & signs as you need. If you need more signs than we have on hand, we can get more, we'll just need a week or so to gather them in L.A..

Do I have to find riders?

We have access to as many riders as we need. You won't have to interact with the riders at all unless you want.

What will the riders look like?

Our basic rates include our riders in one of our uniform tops. We have riders that will wear your uniform, if you so desire, all you have to do is provide the uniform and our patrols will wear them.

What do the bikes look like? Can i request something special like tandem or "tall-bikes"?

Typically our riders bring whatever bike they prefer to ride on patrol, but if you have a preference - for whatever reason - we can locate non-standard bikes (or non-standard riders).

What areas do you cover?

We're just starting out in Los Angeles. We mostly work the westside, Hollywood and downtown, but we will happily travel wherever your work is, South Bay, Long Beach, Pasadena, the Valley, etc.

Will you go anywhere in Southern California?

You'll have to cover travel costs but, within reason, we will go wherever you like.

Where will you not go?

Our riders will ride anywhere it is legal for a cyclist to ride, and they will walk places where it is legal to walk (like sidewalks and outdoor malls), but we cannot send our riders anywhere cycling is illegal, such as freeways or on sidewalks in local cities where sidewalk riding is prohibited.

What kinds of signs can you haul? What are they typically made of?

Most of our signs are the plastic/cardboard sort commonly used by realtors, and they are affixed to our trailers using regular "zip ties". We also have plastic shields for non-backed advertisements (i.e. plain paper) if that's what you'd prefer to use.

What happens to my sign after the campaign is over?

We will return your media to you if desired, or we can dispose of it for you.

Our preferred media is a reusable vinyl with adhesive backing. These can be stored for reuse as is, or reapplied to vehicles as decals if desired.

Do you offer illuminated or backlit signs?

We have experimented with backlit signs, but do not currently keep those trailers in stock. Our R&D guys would love to talk to you if you're interested in what they've been building... 'cause we're not paying them much.

What liability do clients assume by hiring SgtBike?

No more than with any other form of advertising. Our riders are independent contractors, fully responsible for their own insurance and actions.

How large is a typical patrol?

Our riders can cover between 40 and 50 miles on a 4 hour patrol, but typically they ride within a given area - chosen by you - to cover the patrol area as thoroughly as possible.

No, I mean how many riders make up a typical patrol?

That determination is generally made with our client, depending on the size of the area our clients want covered. Generally speaking, the more signs in a patrol the better your result. We recommend 8-12 signs/riders for the most impact. A patrol can be as few as 1 rider, but could be dozens of riders or more - if you want that kind of attention!

Isn't mobile advertising illegal in Los Angeles?

Not at all. What's illegal is parking mobile advertising on any public right-of-way within the city of Los Angeles. Our riders typically don't park at all, but should they have to (for lunch or restroom breaks, for example) a black cover is provided in case they cannot park off of the public rght-of-way.

How do I know your "patrol" is going where I want? How do I know they're not loafing on the beach?

Our riders are all required to use our tracking app when on duty. This gives us real-time information about our riders, and provides you with a complete route log when your patrol is complete.

What happens if a patrol gets lost?

They call us and we set them right again! :)

Can you do nighttime patrols?

Certainly, although nighttime patrols are more expensive than daytime patrols.

What if it rains?

This is Southern California! What's rain? In all seriousness we typically will ride anyway, but in the event of extremely inclement weather we can postpone patrols as is prudent.

I need the riders to be involved with my product. Can these patrols serve as "brand ambassadors" for my product/brand/film/show/etc.?

Typically our riders are only concerned with safely completing their patrols. If you need patrols that will hand out flyers, distribute samples, talk about products, etc., we can hire them for you, and we can provide a location for training the patrol to your specification. Of course they'll cost a little more than our usual crew, and they'll want to be paid for their time while they're learning as well.